Rumor Patrol: Next ‘Borderlands’ Game is ‘Pre-Sequel,’ Set in Space & Last-Gen Only

Every now and again a rumor crosses the Net that seems to0 substantial not to be true. The timing aligns with expectations, the facts all seem to be well supported, and as a result the gaming news world takes hold of it. Here is such a rumor.

According to Game Points Now, a new Borderlands game is currently in development for last-gen platforms (PS3, Xbox 360, and PC) that will be a pre-sequel. What’s a pre-sequel, you ask? It’s a title set in the years between the first Borderlands and Borderlands 2.

The site goes on to say that this title will be developed by 2K Australia and not Gearbox Software. We expected as much when Gearbox revealed they were not working on Borderlands 3, and now 2K Games has seemingly all but confirmed Gearbox has moved on from the franchise.

As far as the game’s nuts and bolts are concerned, this pre-sequel will reportedly take players to space, more specifically the Hyperion moon base (the thing that’s shaped like a giant H in Borderlands 2) and its nearby moon, Elpis. The story will once again feature Handsome Jack as a central character, but back when he was a lowly programmer named John.

The details get a little murkier after that, but it sounds like John is in pursuit of an alien artifact — a space vault? — and has enlisted four compatriots to help him in that quest. These four compatriots will form the four playable characters in the game, and they are: Athena the Gladiator, Wilhelm the Enforcer, Nisha the Lawbringer, and Fragtrap — a combat-ready Claptrap unit.

Mechanically, this next Borderlands is also looking to shake things up a bit with the introduction of reduced gravity and oxygen conservation. These details make sense given the moon setting, but it’s not entirely clear how exactly they will work. All we know is that loot will now also consist of OX-kits, which replenish the player’s oxygen level and presumably keep them exploring on the moon a little longer.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Borderlands game without some shiny new weapons. While we’re sure there will be plenty to loot over the course of the game, the new types worth mentioning are the Cryo and Laser types. Sounds pretty perfect for a moon setting if you ask us.

Although developer Gearbox Software seems to have stepped away from the Borderlands franchise for a bit, publisher 2K Games apparently wants to keep the loot-based shooter train rolling. However, many gamers only associate the Borderlands brand with Gearbox and as a result they might be put off by another developer taking over in their place. That being said, if these rumors are true it sounds like 2K Australia is trying to make their own mark on the franchise while still working within the pre-established universe.

While this rumor has yet to be confirmed, and likely won’t be given the scope of its details, some are suggesting that this Borderlands news was part of a Pax East reveal slated for this weekend. We’ll see whether that turns out to be true.

How does this Borderlands pre-sequel sound to you? What do you hope to see out of a third game?

Borderlands‘ Untitled Pre-Sequel is rumored to be a 2014 release on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.